Message repeater



July 19, 1966 D. E. HEINISCH MESSAGE REPEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 9, 1964 INVENTOR. DONALD E HEINJSCH 0&2; MJQQW A TTOENE Y6 July 19, 1966 D. E. HElNlSCH MESSAGE REPEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9, 1964 INVENTOR. DONALD E HEINISCH M MW ATfOF/VE/S United States Patent 3,261,524 MESSAGE REPEATER Donald E. Heinisch, Jackson, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Audio-Sell Incorporated, Ann Arbor, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 358,455 4 Claims. (Cl. 226-190) This invention relates generally to recorder playback instruments employing an endless magnetic tape, and more particularly to an improved message repeater of this type.

There are a variety of uses for a versatile message repeater which can be readily transported to desired points of use. For example, in sales work, such as the selling of automobiles, such a repeater utilizes the persuasive selling power of the human voice combined with the dependable efficiency of automation without a sales attendant. The repeater, in such a case, is equipped with a pair of speakers each of which has a button marked Push Me, and when a sales prospects curiosity causes him to push the button, the message repeater of this invention is operable to deliver a compelling sales message. At the conclusion of the message, the unit is automatically shut off and cued to repeat the message instantly in response to the next push of the speaker button. In such a unit, it is desirable that the endless magnetic tape be incorporated in a reinovable cartridge, to thereby enable removal of the cartridge for ready substitution of other sales messages, and that a positive reliable drive of the magnetic tape be provided which will insure delivery of the desired message over a prolonged service life of the message repeater. It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an improved message repeater of the above type which accomplishes the above desirable objectives and which is compact, economical to manufacture and easy to install within a very short time.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an automobile having the message repeater of this invention installed thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the message repeater of this invention, showing the components thereof in position to deliver a message;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the message repeater of this invention, showing the magnetic tape cartridge removed, and with the components of the repeater in position to receive a cartridge, with some parts broken away and other parts shown in section for the purpose of clarity;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view looking substantially along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional view as seen from substantially the line 5-5 in FIG. 2.

With reference to the drawing, the message repeater of this invention, indicated generally at 10, is illustrated in FIG. 1 installed on a conventional automobile 12 having a hood 14, a battery 16, and windows 18. The repeater consists of a housing 20, to which leads 22 (FIGS. 2 and 3) are connected and which are also connected to the battery 16 and grounded on the automobile engine block, for driving the repeater 10, and a pair of speaker units 24, only one of which is shown, and which are adapted to be hung on the vehicle windows 18. The speakers 24 are connected to the housing by leads 26.

The housing 20 has a bottom Wall 28, end walls 30, side walls 32, and a cover plate 34 which is removably attached by screws 36 and is formed with an opening 37 for a purpose to appear presently. The housing 29 encloses the usual amplifier, and associated circuitry, which 'ice are conventional and are therefore not illustrated, and an electric motor 38 mounted on a bracket 40 secured to the underside of the cover plate 34. The motor 38 has a drive shaft 42 on which a pulley 44 is formed, and a belt 46 (FIG. 3) is trained about the pulley 44 and a larger pulley 48 (FIG. 5) which is secured by a set screw 58 to a driving capstan 52 supported in a bearing assembly 54 carried by the cover plate 34. The driving capstan 52 projects above the cover plate 34 and is substantially aligned with a pair of transducer heads 56 which are electrically connected, by conductors 58, to the circuitry contained within the housing 20. A rotatable knob 60, mounted on housing side wall 32, is operatively connected to the circuitry in housing 20 so that on rotation of knob 60 the repeater 10 can be turned on and oil? and the volume adjusted.

An arm 62 has one end 64 pivotally connected by a pin 66 to the underside of the housing cover 34. The opposite end of the arm 62 is formed with two transversely spaced portions 68 and 70, with the portion 76' being considerably shorter than the portion 68. The portion 70 is offset laterally from the portion 68 and has a connecting leg 71 (FIG. 4) which is substantially vertical. The arm 62 is positioned so that the leg 71 extends upwardly through opening 37, and consequently the end portion 7 0 is positioned so that it is adjacent the top side of the cover 34, as shown in FIG. 4, and the end portion 68 is adjacent the underside of the cover 34. As a result, the arm end portion 70 can ride on the top side of the cover 34, during pivotal movement of the arm 62, to prevent substantial up and down movement of the arm 62 during pivotal movement.

A pinch roll 72, having a resilient outer layer or portion 74 formed of rubber or a similar material, is rotatably I mounted on an upright shaft 76 secured to the arm portion 78. A retainer washer 78 maintains the pinch roll 72 in a supported position on the shaft 76 in which the pinch roll 72 is rotatable about a sleeve bearing 80 carried by the shaft 76. The pinch roll 72, and the arm 62 on which it is mounted, are positioned such that on pivotal movement of the arm 62, the pinch roll 72 travels an arc in a plane substantially parallel to the cover plate 34 which will intersect the capstan 52. As a result, the pinch roll 72 is movable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the capstan 52 to a position shown in FIG. 5 in which the pinch roll 72 is resiliently engageable with the capstan 52 over the full length of the peripheral surface of the resilient pinch roll layer 74. As a result, a magnetic tape 82, pinched between the roll 72 and the capstan 52 is readily driven lengthwise in a plane substantially perpendicular to the capstan 52.

A spring 84 is connected at one end to the arm end portion 68 and at the opposite end to a link 86 which is pivotally supported on a pin 88 carried by the housing cover 34. The spring 84thus urges the lever 62 in a clockwise direction toward the position shown in FIG. 3 in which the pinch roll 72 is spaced from the driving capstan 52. A second spring 90, of a heavier construction than the spring 84, is connected at one end to the arm end portion 68 and at the opposite end to a link 92 which is pivotally mounted on the lower end of an actuating lever 94 which extends upwardly through a slot 96 formed in the housing cover 34. A retainer washer 98 mounted on the lever 94 so that it engages the top side of the cover 34 maintains the lever 94 in a position in which the link 92 is below the cover 34 and the lever 94 projects above the cover 34, \and provides for a sliding support of lever 94 on cover 34.

The lever 94 is illustrated in FIG. 3 positioned at one end of the slot 96 which is formed at the opposite end with a transverse extension 108 positioned at an acute angle with respect to the slot 96. When the lever 94 is manually moved into the slot extension 100, a suflicient force is exerted on the spring 90 to overcome the force of the spring 84 and move the lever 62 to a position in which the pinch roll 72 is resiliently and firmly forced against the capstan 52, as shown in FIG. 2, and the tape 82 is firmly pinched between the pinch roll 72 and the capstan 52. This is the pinching position of pinch roll 72. In this position of the lever 94 shown in FIG. 2, the spring 90 urges the lever 94 in a direction such that it is firmly maintained in the terminal end of the slot extension 100. In order to return the lever 94 to its position shown in FIG. 3, it is necessary to first move the lever 94 in a direction to further stretch the spring 90.

A tape cartridge 102 (FIGS. 2 and is mounted on the cover 34 between a pair of guide rails 103 secured to the cover 34 so that they project upwardly therefrom in a substantially parallel relation. The cartridge 102 consists of a casing 104, formed of transparent plastic material and having a reel 106, for the endless tape 82, rotatably mounted therein. The casing 104 supports guides 108 and 110 for the tape 82 so that the tape is movable past a resilient arm 110 mounted on the casing 104 and an opening 112 formed in one end wall of the casing 104. Openings (not shown) are provided in the casing 104 adjacent the arm 110 so that the transducer heads 56 can project into the casing and engage one side of the tape 82 with the other side being urged toward the transducer heads by the arm 110.

The casing 104 has a bottom wall 114 which is formed with an opening 116 of a size larger than the diameter of the pinch roll 72. As a result, the magnetic tape cartridge 102 is readily mounted on the housing 20 by first moving the cartridge 102 downwardly so that the pinch roll 72 passes upwardly through the cartridge opening 116. The cartridge casing 104 is then slidably supported on the rails 103 so that on actuation of the lever 94 to move the pinch roll 72 toward the capstan 52, the bearing 80 on the shaft 76 engages a portion 120 of the casing bottom wall 114 at one side of the opening 116, and acts to move the cartridge 102 longitudinally of the rails 103 in the direction of the capstan 52. In the position of the actuating lever 94 shown in FIG. 2, the casing portion 120 is clamped between the bearing 80 and the capstan 52 and the tape 82 is firmly gripped between the pinch roll 72 and the capstan 52, so that both the tape and the cartridge 102 are maintained in desired positions on the unit 10. In this position, the capstan 52 projects into the casing 102 through the opening 112.

In the operation of the message repeater of this invention, a cartridge 102 is mounted as shown in FIG. 2, the knob 60 is turned to an on position, and on actuation of a speaker button, the motor 38 is operated to drive the capstan 52 to in turn rotate the pinch roll 72 and move the tape 82 past the transducer heads 56 so that the recorded message on the tape 82 is audible at the speakers 24. In the operative position of the cartridge 102 illustrated in FIG. 2, a loop portion 122 of a wire 124 which is fixed at one end to a bracket 126 on the cartridge 102 is withdrawn from notches 128 in the reel 106. This withdrawal is accomplished by engagement of the pinch roll bearing 80 with the wire 124 on movement of the pinch roll 72 toward the capstan 52, as shown (in FIG. 5.

When it is desired to remove the cartridge 102 from the unit 10, the actuating lever 94 is moved from its FIG. 2 to its FIG. 3 position so that the wire 124 is released for movement of the portion 122 into a locking notch 128 on the reel 106. The cartridge 102 is then removed by lifting the casing 104 off the rails 103, by first aligning the opening 116 with the pinch roll 72. Another cartridge 102 can then be substituted for the original and mounted in the same manner.

From the above description, it is seen that this invention provides a compact message repeater which is simple to install and operate, and which provides for a firm spring urged engagement of the pinch roll 72 with the driving capstan 52 over the full length of the pinch roll 72. Once a cartridge 102 is installed, which is readily accomplished, it is positively locked on the housing 20 by virtue of the arrangement of the actuating lever 94 in the slot 96.

It will be understood that the message repeater which is herein disclosed and described is presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and is not intended to indicate limits of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

'1. In a message repeater which is adapted to employ magnetic tape and which includes a housing having a cover plate provided with an opening, a driving capstan mounted on said cover plate adjacent said opening so that said capstan projects upwardly from said cover plate and a transducer head adjacent said capstan; a pinch roll for pressing the tape against the capstan, a support arm for said pinch roll disposed adjacent the underside of said cover plate and pivotally secured at one end thereto, said arm having a pair of transversely spaced laterally offset portions at the opposite end thereof disposed on opposite sides of said cover plate with one of said portions projecting through said opening, shaft means rotatably supporting said pinch roll and projecting upwardly from said one arm end portion at a position such that on pivotal movement of said arm said pinch roll is movable along a circular arc which is substantially parallel to said cover plate and intersects said capstan, and means including spring means secured to the other end portion of said arm for pivotally moving said arm to a position in which said pinch roll is resiliently urged against said capstan.

2. In a message repeater which is adapted to employ magnetic tape and which includes a housing having a cover plate provided with an opening, a driving capstan mounted on said cover plate adjacent said opening so that said capstan projects upwardly from said plate, and a transducer head adjacent said capstan; a pinch roll for pressing the tape against the capstan, a support arm for said pinch roll movably mounted on said cover plate, first spring means secured to said cover plate and to said arm urging said arm in a direction such that said pinch roll is urged away from said capstan, an actuating lever for said arm, guide slot means in said plate supporting said lever for movement along a predetermined path, second spring means connected to and extending between said lever and said arm urging said arm in a direction opposite to the direction in which the arm is urged by said first spring means, said slot means extending generally in said opposite direction and being of a length such that said lever is movable therein in said opposite direction to a position in which said second spring means resiliently urges said pinch roll in a pinching position with respect to said capstan, said slot means having a transversely extending dead end portion adjacent said lever position into which said lever is movable and in which said lever is retained by the force of said second spring means to thereby releasably lock said pinch roll in said pinching position thereof, and said first spring means being operable on release of said lever to move said arm in a direction so as to move said pinch roll away from said capstan.

3. In a message repeater which is adapted to employ magnetic tape and which includes a housing having a cover provided with an opening, a driving capstan mounted on said cover adjacent said opening so that said capstan projects upwardly from said cover, and a transducer head adjacent said capstan; a pinch roll for pressing the tape against the capstan, a support arm for said pinch roll disposed adjacent the underside of said cover and pivotally secured at one end thereto, said arm having a pair of transversely spaced laterally offset portions at the opposite end thereof disposed on opposite sides of said cover with one of said portions projecting through said opening, shaft means rotatably supporting said pinch roll and projecting upwardly from said one arm end portion at a position such that on pivotal movement of said anm said pinch roll is movable along a circular are which is substantially parallel to said cover and intersects said capstan, first Spring means secured to said cover and to the other end portion of said arm urging said arm in a direction such that said pinch roll is urged away from said capstan, an actuating lever for said arm, guide slot means in said cover supporting said lever for movement along a predetermined path, second spring means connected to and extending between said lever and said other end portion of said arm urging said arm in a direction opposite to the direction in which the arm is urged by said first spring means, said slot means extending generally in said op- :posite direction and being of a length such that said lever is movable therein in said opposite direction to a position in which said second spring means resiliently urges said pinch roll into a pinching position with respect to said capstan, said first spring means being operable on release of said lever to move said arm in a direction so as to move said pinch roll away from said capstan, said slot means having a transversely extending dead end extension adjacent said lever position into which said lever is movable and in which said lever is retained by the force of said second spring means to thereby releasably lock said pinch roll in said pinching position thereof.

4. In a message repeaterwhich employs magnetic tape, a housing having a cover plate provided with an opening, a driving capstan mounted on said cover plate adjacent said opening so that said capstan projects upwardly from said plate, a transducer head on said housing adjacent said capstan, a pinch roll for pressing the tape against the capstan, a support arm for said pinch roll disposed adjacent the underside of said plate and pivotally secured at one end thereto, said anm having a pair of transversely spaced laterally offset portions at the opposite end thereof disposed on opposite sides of said plate with one of said portions projecting through said opening, shaft means rotatably supporting said pinch roll and projecting upwardly from said one arm end portion at a position such that on pivotal movement of said arm said pinch roll is movable along a circular are which is substantially parallel to said cover plate and intersects said capstan, first spring means secured to said plate and to the other end portion of said arm urging said arm in a direction such that said pinch roll is urged away from said capstan, an

actuating lever for said arm, guide slot means in said plate supporting said lever for movement along a predetermined path, second spring means connected to and extending between said lever and said other end portion of said arm urging said arm in a direction opposite to the direction in which the arm is urged by said first spring means, said slot means extending generally in said opposite direction and being of a length such that said lever is movable therein in said opposite direction to a position in which said second spring means resiliently urges said pinch roll into a pinching position with respect to said capstan, said first spring means being operable on release of said lever to move said arm in a direction so as to move said pinch roll away from said capstan, said slot means having a transversely extending dead end extension adjacent said lever position into which said lever is movable and in which said lever is retained by the force of said second spring means to thereby releasably lock said pinch roll in said pinching position thereof, a tape cartridge comprised of a substantially rectangular casing having an endless tape mounted therein and a opening in one side, guide means on said cover plate guidably supporting said casing for sliding movement toward and away from said capstan, said casing opening being of a size such that said pinch roll can pass therethrough, said shaft means supporting said pinch roll and extending through said casing opening for engagement with a portion of said casing at one side of said opening on movement of said pinch roll toward said capstan for sliding said casing toward said capstan concurrently with movement of said pinch roll toward said capstan, said pinch roll in the pinching position thereof pinching said tape between the pinch roll and the capstan and said casing portion being clamped between the capstan and the pinch roll shaft means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,876,005 3/1959 Eash 2712.18

2,941,737 6/1960 Jones 242-55.12

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,042,917 5/1958 Germany.

BERNARD KONICK, Primary Examiner.

IRVING L. SRAGOW, Examiner.

A. F. BERNARD, Assistant Examiner. 

4. IN A MESSAGE REPEATER WHICH EMPLOYS MAGNETIC TAPE, A HOUSING HAVING A COVER PLATE PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING, A DRIVING CAPSTAN MOUNTED ON SAID COVER PLATE ADJACENT SAID OPENING SO THAT SAID CAPSTAN PROJECTS UPWARDLY FROM SAID PLATE, A TRANSDUCER HEAD ON SAID HOUSING ADJACENT SAID CAPSTAN, A PINCH ROLL FOR PRESSING THE TAPE AGAINST THE CAPSTAN, A SUPPORT ARM FOR SAID PINCH ROLL DISPOSED ADJACENT THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID PLATE AND PIVOTALLY SECURED AT ONE END THERETO, SAID ARM HAVING A PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY SPACED LATERALLY OFFSET PORTIONS AT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PLATE WITH ONE OF SAID PORTIONS PROJECTING THROUGH SAID OPENING, SHAFT MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID PINCH ROLL AND PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM SAID ONE ARM END PORTION AT A POSITION SUCH THAT AN PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ARM SAID PINCH ROLL IS MOVABLE ALONG A CIRCULAR ARE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID COVER PLATE AND INTERSECTS SAID CAPSTAN, FIRST SPRING MEANS SECURED TO SAID PLATE AND TO THE OTHER END PORTION OF SAID ARM URGING SAID ARM IN A DIRECTION SUCH THAT SAID PINCH ROLL IS URGED AWAY FROM SAID CAPSTAN, AN ACTUATING LEVER FOR SAID ARM, GUIDE SLOT MEANS IN SAID PLATE SUPPORTING SAID LEVER FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH, SECOND SPRING MEANS CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID LEVER AND SAID OTHER END PORTION OF SAID ARM URGING SAID ARM IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THE ARM IS URGED BY SAID FIRST SPRING MEANS, SAID SLOT MEANS EXTENDING GENERALLY IN SAID OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND BEING OF A LENGTH SUCH THAT SAID LEVER IS MOVABLE THEREIN IN SAID OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO A POSITION IN WHICH SAID SECOND SPRING MEANS RESILIENTLY URGES SAID PINCH ROLL INTO A PINCHING POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID CAPSTAN, SAID FIRST SPRING MEANS BEING OPERABLE ON RELEASE OF SAID LEVER TO MOVE SAID ARM IN A DIRECTION SO AS TO MOVE SAID PINCH ROLL AWAY FROM SAID CAPSTAN, SAID SLOT MEANS HAVING A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING DEAD END EXTENSION ADJACENT SAID LEVER POSITION INTO WHICH SAID LEVER IS MOVABLE AND IN WHICH SAID LEVER IS RETAINED BY THE FORCE OF SAID SECOND SPRING MEANS TO THEREBY RELEASABLY LOCK SAID PINCH ROLL IN SAID PINCHING POSITION THEREOF, A TAPE CARTRIDGE COMPRISED OF A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR CASING HAVING AN ENDLESS TAPE MOUNTED THEREIN AND A OPENING IN ONE SIDE, GUIDE MEANS ON SAID COVER PLATE GUIDABLY SUPPORTING SAID CASING FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID CAPSTAN, SAID CASING OPENING BEING OF A SIZE SUCH THAT SAID PINCH ROLL CAN PASS THERETHROUGH, SAID SHAFT MEANS SUPPORTING SAID PINCH ROLL AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CASING OPENING FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A PORTION OF SAID CASING AT ONE SIDE OF SAID OPENING ON MOVEMENT OF SAID PINCH ROLL TOWARD SAID CAPSTAN FOR SLIDING SAID CASING TOWARD SAID CAPSTAN CONCURRENTLY WITH MOVEMENT OF SAID PINCH ROLL TOWARD SAID CAPSTAN, SAID PINCH ROLL IN THE PINCHING POSITION THEREOF PINCHING SAID TAPE BETWEEN THE PINCH ROLL AND THE CAPSTAN AND SAID CASING PORTION BEING CLAMPED BETWEEN THE CAPSTAN AND THE PINCH ROLL SHAFT MEANS. 